Individual Defensive Players (IDP) is certainly not a format that is for the general public. Still, for those looking to expand their fantasy football horizons, it can be an excellent change of pace that adds excitement to the game. Not to mention, it means both sides of the ball are critical to fantasy. For fantasy managers who have just now dipped their feet into the IDP waters, it can be a confusing and overwhelming adventure. That’s where Green Dot Defenders comes in.
Green Dot Defenders takes a look at the players on each defense that wear the green dot on their helmets. Why would I care who wears the green dot you might be asking? Well, let’s dive right into it.
What Is a Green Dot Defender?
The green dot defender on each team functions as a defensive captain of sorts. The green dot indicates that they have the electronics in their helmets that allow them to communicate with the sideline to call plays for the defense. The reason the green dot is critical is because the green dot player tends to play all or the majority of the defensive snaps for their team. That’s half the battle in IDP leagues. Guaranteeing that your player will be on the field for more than 80% of the defensive snaps is an easy cheat code for ensuring IDP production.
I would compare the Green Dot advantage to the Konami Code advantage that a rushing quarterback adds. The second significance of the green dot is that it allows additional stability to the IDP positions that aren’t typically the most valued. The majority of the green dot players in the NFL are linebackers, and in a few rare cases, they are defensive backs. This can help make up the gap between the value of a linebacker and the value of a defensive lineman, which is traditionally king of the IDP scoring formats.
Who Wore It in 2023?
Below is a chart showing who the primary green dot player was in 2023. It also shows how many standard IDP scoring points they each totaled. It is important to note that except for a handful of players, all the healthy green dot players scored over 200 fantasy points which is a fantastic level of production. The green dot seems to be an obvious advantage for those who know about it.
2023 Green Dot Defenders
| Team | Green Dot Defender | Fan Pts | Notes |
| Patriots | Ja'Whaun Bentley | 230 | |
| Jets | CJ Mosley | 282 | |
| Bills | Terrel Bernard | 337 | |
| Dolphins | Duke Riley | 77 | |
| Browns | Sione Takitaki | 143 | Plays for Patriots Now |
| Bengals | Logan Wilson | 293 | |
| Steelers | Myles Jack | 39 (INJ) | Currently a Free Agent |
| Ravens | Roquan Smith | 299 | |
| Colts | Zaire Franklin | 328 | |
| Texans | Blake Cashman | 218 | Plays for Vikings Now |
| Titans | Azeez Al-Shaair | 298 | Plays for Texans Now |
| Jaguars | Foyesade Oluokun | 364 | |
| Chiefs | Nick Bolton | 116 (INJ) | |
| Raiders | Robert Spillane | 305 | |
| Chargers | Eric Kendricks | 259 | Plays for Cowboys Now |
| Broncos | Alex Singleton | 328 | |
| Lions | Alex Anzalone | 279 | |
| Bears | Tremaine Edmunds | 248 | |
| Vikings | Jordan Hicks | 220 | Plays for Browns Now |
| Packers | De'Vondre Campbell | 135 (INJ) | Plays for 49ers Now |
| Saints | Demario Davis | 287 | |
| Falcons | Kaden Elliss | 265 | |
| Panthers | Frankie Luvu | 276 | Plays for Commanders Now |
| Buccaneers | Lavonte David | 303 | |
| Giants | Bobby Okereke | 338 | |
| Eagles | Nicholas Morrow | 227 | Plays for Bills Now |
| Commanders | Cody Barton | 208 | Plays for Broncos Now |
| Cowboys | Jayron Kearse | 158 | Currently a Free Agent |
| Seahawks | Bobby Wagner | 340 | Plays for Commanders Now |
| 49ers | Fred Warner | 315 | |
| Rams | Ernest Jones | 298 | |
| Cardinals | Krys Barnes | 118 |
Who Will Wear It in 2024?
As far as the 2024 season is concerned, it’s too early to state definitely who will wear the green dot for all 32 teams, but for now, we will project who we think will be the guy. This chart will continue to be updated until the regular season begins or we confirm who all 32 players are. It’s important to note that some teams can run more than one player as they split snaps, but typically it’s a full-time player. If they aren’t projected to be a full-time player, the chart will indicate so.
2024 Projected Green Dot Defenders
| Team | Green Dot Defender |
| Patriots | Ja'Whaun Bentley |
| Jets | CJ Mosley |
| Bills | Terrel Bernard |
| Dolphins | Jordyn Brooks |
| Browns | Jordan Hicks |
| Bengals | Logan Wilson |
| Steelers | Patrick Queen |
| Ravens | Roquan Smith |
| Colts | Zaire Franklin |
| Texans | Azeez Al-Shaair |
| Titans | Cedric Gray |
| Jaguars | Foyesade Oluokun |
| Chiefs | Nick Bolton |
| Raiders | Robert Spillane |
| Chargers | Denzel Perryman |
| Broncos | Alex Singleton |
| Lions | Alex Anzalone |
| Bears | Tremaine Edmunds |
| Vikings | Blake Cashman |
| Packers | Quay Walker |
| Saints | Demario Davis |
| Falcons | Troy Anderson |
| Panthers | Josey Jewell |
| Buccaneers | Lavonte David |
| Giants | Bobby Okereke |
| Eagles | Devin White |
| Commanders | Bobby Wagner |
| Cowboys | Eric Kendricks |
| Seahawks | Julian Love |
| 49ers | Fred Warner |
| Rams | Ernest Jones |
| Cardinals | Kyzir White |
What Stands Out
It’s early in the offseason and it’s too early to list any of these as a sure thing but the ones that stand out the most are the three below. If they are indeed able to land the green dot, they could be massive steals at their current ADP.
Cedric Gray, Titans
Embed from Getty ImagesGray is the only rookie who looks to be the green dot player in 2024. Gray was an excellent producer during his time at The University of North Carolina and with an ADP of LB95, outside the top 250 IDP players, he has the potential to be the IDP steal of the century.
Ja’Whaun Bentley, Patriots
Embed from Getty ImagesBentley wore the green dot last year and looks to wear it again for the Patriots. He is currently going 91st overall in IDP rankings and as LB52. A new coaching staff and a second season as the defensive play-caller should allow him to be a critical player on the Patriot’s defense. Bentley is extremely undervalued at this point.
Alex Anzalone, Lions
Embed from Getty ImagesAnzalone will wear the dot for the second year in a row for the Lions and is being way underdrafted. Is the play-caller on the Lion’s defense despite being one of the smaller names. He may not be Aidan Hutchinson or Brian Branch, but at LB48, and 84th overall in IDP rankings he too could be a steal in IDP drafts.
For our complete set of IDP Rankings that were ranked 2nd in the 2023 Fantasy Pros Draft Accuracy Competition, head over to my Rankings Page and our IDP Page for all of our IDP content.
